


Star Stuff

by imfallingforyoureyes102



Series: On the Outside Looking In [5]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Arrow (TV 2012) Season 1, Arrow (TV 2012) Season 2, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Oliver finally feels, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Felicity Smoak, Psychological Trauma, References to Depression, Sad Oliver Queen, Slow Burn, outside looking in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-09 05:19:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18910357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imfallingforyoureyes102/pseuds/imfallingforyoureyes102
Summary: “The nitrogen in our DNA,” Felicity pauses, her eyes turned to the ceiling as if in thought, “the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood,” Oliver’s turns away from the window to face her, “The carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff.Youare made of star stuff."Felicity’s face is wide open, just like she has always been with him, and for a second Oliver thinks – no, hebelieves, without a doubt, that if he is made of stars, Felicity is the sun.(Or, Walter Steele doesn't really know what to think of his stepson's budding relationship with his executive assistant - he doesn'twantto think about what it means. But then he happens upon Oliver on the verge of falling into the darkest corners of his mind and watches as Felicity slowly and surely pulls him back to the light.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another one!! (I know this timeline is a muddle between seasons 1 and 2 but eh, let's pretend it works).
> 
> I'm trying to bang a couple of these out before I must disappear to a faraway place and be a camp counselor for a long, long time. Wish my luck, my doods, I'm gonna die. Also, if anyone has any recommendations in terms of who they want to see "observing" the Olicity relationship (I'm thinking Laurel next) or any hurt/comfort ideas, let me know! 
> 
> I know someone gave me some prompts decades ago but I'm a poopy person and am just getting around to it, so be on the lookout!
> 
> (Thank you so much to my guys out there who comment on my stories, I recognize and love you alllll so much! It's always a joy to see your guy's names or picture icons on my laptop - it makes me smileeee!)
> 
> Also, I struggled with what to put this under - We Mend Each Other or Outside Looking In, but settled with OLI because we have Walter and Moira doing a little spying. Enjoy!
> 
> Love you all! Let me know what you think!

Walter Steele is nothing if not observant.

He notices the small things, like the scuff on the wall of the elevator three feet above the button panel, or the way Moira’s necklace is missing a small stone.

He notices a lot of things – has opinions on even more. Still, he doesn’t really know what to make of his stepson’s close relationship to a certain blonde IT expert.

He exchanges a short smile with Moira as they ride the elevator up to the C-suite offices. Oliver had agreed to meet with them to discuss a few things before an important board meeting tomorrow, but Walter also knows that a certain Felicity Smoak hasn’t yet swiped out of the building.

It makes him a little nervous, knowing that it’s far past working hours and the CEO and his executive assistant are still supposedly working up on their _very_ secluded floor.

Walter cares for Felicity – he really does. In a way, he’s come to know her more than he knows Oliver, and while he can’t fault the boy on that, he does have a slight distaste in his mouth every time he’s reminded that Felicity now works as his glorified secretary.

He really should give the boy more credit – Oliver’s a good kid. He knows that. But he’s barely had any interaction with him since coming back from the island and whatever traits he does remember of Oliver, he doesn’t necessarily enjoy.

Walter has a tight grip on Moira’s shoulders as the elevators slide open, and Moira’s almost amused expression falls short when they hear a voice filtering through the air. The lights are all shut off, only the soft glow of the moon and the city lights filtering in through windows illuminating the room.

“I don’t know. I don’t know, Felicity. All that time on the Island – Lian Yu it, it.. I feel like – I feel this _darkness_ and it won’t – I can’t get it to leave.” His voice comes out wispy and strangled like he’s been fighting some sort of battle for years.

Oliver Queen sounds years older than he is, and it’s the shaky breath that follows his words that have both Walter and Moira stopping in their tracks.

Walter can hear Oliver pacing, and when he steps into the line of the moonlight streaming in from the windows, Walter sees the way his stepson's face is twisted with all kinds of grief and trauma and _oh_.

_God, he’s still just a boy._

Oliver suddenly stops.

“I’m not a good person – I’m, I feel _so –_ so _alone._ ” He pauses, running a hand down his face. “I just feel like I shouldn’t be here. Like I shouldn’t have made it off that island. After the things that I did to survive – after the - ,” Oliver trails off, swallowing hard.

“I don’t deserve a second chance,” he whispers.

But then a voice cuts him off. A softer, lighter, kinder voice that has Oliver’s eyes slipping shut.

“The nitrogen in our DNA,” Felicity pauses, her eyes turned to the ceiling as if in thought, “the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood,” Oliver’s turns away from the window to face her, “The carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff.”

She stands up, circling around her desk to where Oliver has sunk into her seat. Walter hears Moira’s breath hitch when Felicity crouches before him, grabbing his hands tenderly and carefully.

 _“You_ are made of star stuff.”

Oliver glances at her, expression equal parts confused and adoring and she can see the questioning look in his eyes.

“It’s a quote – Carl Sagan,” Felicity beings. Oliver starts to say something, but she quickly cuts him off.

“It’s also science, so I’m right and you’re wrong.”

Oliver’s mouth snaps shut as Felicity continues.

“I may have butchered it – I don’t know, it’s been a while. And I wasn’t really the astrophysics kind of gal – but that’s not the point,” her voice grows softer. “There is darkness in you Oliver, yeah. Of course, there is. What you’ve been through is incomprehensible and violent and scary and sad.”

Felicity squeezes her eyes shut.

“Everyone has a little bad in them,” she continues, and Oliver wants to let out an incredulous laugh because there is _no_ way that Felicity has one ounce of bad in her. But Felicity brushes him off, instead pulling his hands tighter in her small ones, the bright blue of her nails resting against the tan of his skin.

She sits crisscross in front of him, her chin resting gently on his knee, and she looks up at him in such a soft and sincere way and Walter can see the instant it hits Oliver – can see the way his shoulders sag and his eyes start to water.

“But everyone also has a little good in ‘em. Even the bad guys – even the worst of the worst. _Even Kangaroo Jack.”_

Oliver lets out a watery laugh at that. “But you – you don’t just have a little good, Oliver. You have buckets full, pouring out of you. I can see it every time you bring Diggle coffee in the morning, or check Thea’s tires and airbags, or leave an extra sweatshirt in Roy’s gym bag.”

She squeezes his hand.

“I can see it in the way you smile at your mother, and laugh at the stupid things I say, and make sure that there are no nuts in my food when we order from that Thai place down the street,” Oliver’s eyebrows flash up. “Yeah, I noticed that.” She shakes her head before continuing.

“You’re a good man, Oliver Queen.”

Oliver doesn’t really care that there’s a tear on his face – doesn’t really care that he’s finally letting himself _feel_ all the pain and hurt that has been clouding up his chest for the past few years. He leans into Felicity, an ember of warmth bubbling in his heart as he listens to her words. Not once has she mentioned his “goodness” coming from being the vigilante – from saving the city – and that little detail pulls at his heartstrings in ways he never thought possible.

The good that she sees in him is innocent and pure and miles away from the pain Oliver had trained himself to endure.

Walter glances down at Moira to see her face scrunched in sadness and it’s Felicity’s voice that pulls his attention back ahead.

“You wanna know how I know?”

Oliver’s “how” comes out in a low, scratchy whisper but the lilt of his voice – the way that he leans slightly towards Felicity has Walter remembering the young and innocent Ollie that would run into his office whenever his father would bring him in, with a ball and a baseball mitt and a smile so big it would light up the room.

Felicity leans in too, and for a second they just stare at each other before Felicity’s pulling back and offering him a smile.

“Because we’re made of stars, baby.” The line is meant to be laced with humor and pizazz – meant to pull a laugh from Oliver’s tired form. But it comes out as a whisper, so soft and earnest and pure, that it pulls at Oliver’s heart instead.

Felicity’s face is wide open, just like she has always been with him, and for a second Oliver thinks – no, he _believes,_ without a doubt, that if he is made of stars, Felicity is the sun.

Oliver lets out a breath then, letting the tears in his eyes fall as he squeezes them shut. He sags forward, leaning his forehead against Felicity’s, and it’s to the silhouette of the two of them frozen in time against the backlight of the moon that Moira and Walter leave them be.

The debriefing can wait until tomorrow.

Walter Steele spares one last glance back at the pair as he steps onto the elevator. Felicity’s standing now and Oliver’s sat at the very edge of the seat. His arms are wrapped tightly around Felicity’s middle, head buried against her stomach, and Felicity’s arms are laced around him, her lips pressed into his hair. Walter can see Oliver’s shaking shoulders, can hear Felicity’s soft murmurs and his shaky breaths.

He can see the way Oliver’s fingers dig into her back and the way Felicity’s own eyes shine with unshed tears. After all, Walter Steele is an observant man.

But this friendship – this, _whatever_ it is. _This_ is something he had completely misjudged.

He’s never been gladder to be proven wrong.


	2. *Update/Please Read!!*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update!!

First, sorry this isn’t an actual update!!

Hi friends! So I just discovered that I won’t have much access to laptops/phones (only about an hour a day) while I am a counselor this summer and won’t be able to update frequently-ish or as soon as I had promised.

 

That being said, I get some time off a couple times throughout the summer, so I will try my best, but I can’t make any promises:((. Hopefully I can write in my journal and then just type it up on a free day!

 

Thank you so much for all the love and support and patience you all have shown me - from kudos to comments to bookmarks, to all the new faces (or usernames lol) I see to all the people I see over and over again! I love you all so much and hope you know just how amazing you make my life!

 

Again, I will DEFINITELY try my best to keep the content coming if you guys would like. 

 

Thanks my dooodddss! Love to all of you!! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my doooods, let me know what you think!! 
> 
> It makes my day, it makes my year, it makes my life!


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